Cylinder blast: Ludhiana civil hospital ill-equipped to handle burn cases

LUDHIANA: The sudden rush of the injured at the local civil hospital after a cylinder blast in a house in the Focal Point area on Thursday exposed the hospital’s illequipped burn unit which has only four beds.

There are only two senior doctors posted at the civil hospital to treat the patients suffering from burn injuries. There are no super specialists at the civil hospital. Two people died while 33 people, including nine women and five children, suffered burn injuries in the incident.

As the number of injured mounted, the hospital authorities converted the dengue and swine flu wards into a critical care unit.the civil hospital referred 14 seriously injured patients to the Christian Medical College and Hospital as it does not have the capability to treat those with critical burn injuries.

Though a team of senior doctors, including the SMO, reached the hospital about 7.30 am to treat the injured, lack of infrastructure made it difficult.

Rakesh, a relative of an injured said bed sheets were not available at the ward.

Dr Milan Verma, surgeon, civil hospital, said, “We have a 20-bedded hall which is used for such disasters. We have provided best possible treatment.”

CARS, BIKES, TEMPOS USED TO FERRY INJURED

Saving precious moments, police officials and local residents ferried the injured in Thursday’s cylinder blast in the Focal Point area to the local civil hospital in their own vehicles.

“We rushed the injured in PCRS and other vehicles rather than waiting for ambulances which reached after 20 minutes of being informed,” said Focal Point SHO Amandeep Brar.

There are 13 ambulances in the district and the 108-service is operated from Amritsar. Mohammad Ali, an injured, was brought to the civil hospital on a bike.

Some injured were taken to hospital in police vehicles allotted to ACP (south) Dharampal Singh and SHO Brar.

₹1 LAKH EX GRATIA FOR DECEASED’S KIN

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has announced an ex gratia of ₹ 1 lakh for the kin of the woman killed. The CM has also ordered an inquiry.